To think that people are idiots for not buying travel insurance

[MenyMeny]

Maybe it's because of the numerous high profile cases of people dying abroad but I don't understand why so few people seemingly buy travel insurance.

I've seen at least three cases where people have passed away with no travel insurance and are now fundraising to cover costs.

I was also on a SM post where numerous people were saying how they never bought travel insurance as they "didn't see the need" even when they admit to travelling abroad numerous times a year.

Frankly, if you can afford a trip abroad, you can afford cover or AIBU?

A neighbour had an accident in the USA whilst horse riding. This wasn't covered by his insurance policy and his parents had to remortgage their house to raise the money to get him home.

You should have to prove you have insurance when booking and if not it should be added to your booking. No insurance no travel!!

I agree, and this was discussed upthread

Admittedly there'd still be those who invalidated the insurance by failing to declare things annd son on, but at least it would lessen the number of problems

It’s unworkable because there’s no appetite to implement it and no way to enforce it. Airlines have no particular interest in whether you can pay your medical bills abroad, and aren’t required to enforce flying restrictions which don’t apply in your destination country.

Dying is not a common experience, but neither is serious illness. A long time ago I ended up with an obstruction and bowel surgery and over two weeks in hospital. I was in the travel business at the time, so I didn't have to think about it, but what can happen to one, can happen to anyone, and it really isn't worth taking the risk.

You just don't know.

That's not actually true. If my DH's cancer came back he'd get some minor warning symptoms with plenty of time to get back home on a planned and get seen through the usual route. But insurers still gouge him as though he's high risk of something going wrong on a city break 2 hours from home. He's at no more risk of needing emergency medical care than anyone else.

Yes if you can afford a holiday not the insurance stay in the UK it is not much unless like me you jave a health condition

Travel insurance isn't even that expensive

When I was younger it never occurred to me to get travel insurance

I only started getting it when I had my DC

I wouldn't dream of travelling without it now

I think they are idiots. I had an Uncle who was a very Senior Civil Servant who didn't believe in any Insurance. He died abroad. His widow called him an idiot, but by then it was too late. It's not worth the risk.

Absolutely read the small print especially if you're travelling to the US

The US will wriggle out of any claim

Get travel insurance with bells and whistles on

My brother died on the way to the airport to visit us he was living in Australia not yet a permanent resident
it cost us £100,000 plus to get him home for the funeral Covid times nightmare

I've always said that there should be checks at the airport/ferry port to make sure travellers have either insurance or sufficient funds to be able to cover 10s of £000s in hospital and repatriation fees, and if the answer to both is 'no', then they shouldn't be pennies to travel, and they shouldn't be able to get a last minute refund on their travel costs either.
That way, there would never be another case such as those we've seen recently. I don't mean we wouldn't see people going missing, although we'd all love for this to never happen, but I mean people ending up in hospital unable to cover the medical fees, or needing repatriation that the family can't afford to pay for.

I had to have a private dr come to me at my hotel last year and with medication, my bill was just over £600. Thank goodness I had insurance as I got it all back bar the £50 excess. It’s not worth the risk

20 years ago we went to Canada with our children. My 16 year old had a burst appendix and had to have it removed in Toronto hospital. I had to go in and sign the indemnity forms saying that we would pay the bills if the insurance company didn't. Fortunately we had great insurance and they paid up for everything. We would have had to sell our house to cover the costs.

I will never travel without insurance. I am quids-in even if I never make another claim in my lifetime 😬

The majority can buy travel insurance for minimal cost.Niece covered her 7 nights in Spain for £18.I have medical conditions and my 7 nights cover is £324.
Happy to pay,as I would not wish to depend on others to pay for my penny pinching.Should be mandatory.

Is this supposed to be an argument about how unfair insurance companies are? By the same token is it unfair that someone living in London who drives a Bentley pays more insurance premium than someone in Lincoln who drives a Fiesta? Insurance companies are a business, not a charity, they price their products accordingly, so you shop around, just as you do for anything. And yes, some people do end up paying more because they are seen as a bigger risk.

Using your argument if you don’t like the price of the sour dough loaf in Gail’s then you buy it at Lidl. Or you don’t buy it at all and when you go home you knock on all the houses in your street to ask them to give you a spare slice.

Funnily enough I had a similar experience travelling in India, doctor came to the hotel and gave me medication. It was in the middle of nowhere, he took my blood pressure in the hotel foyer, but didn’t speak English and carried a shed load of various medication in a battered old carrier bag which he rummaged through. I am not really sure he was a real doctor 🙂 Whatever he gave me did the trick , and even with the call out the bill came to less than £7.00. I didn’t make a claim for it , but kept the receipt as a memento, still have it somewhere.

It's the only one I buy without question .
I don't own my own home, I don't drive, most of my furniture is cheap/second hand/donated from friends and I don't have any dependents or money/ assets - so insurance is an optional/useless/ expensive luxury in my life - except travel insurance.

If mine had been that I wouldn’t have bothered either. It did make my eyes water when he gave me the bill though. This was in the Canary Islands. But on the plus side, he was very handsome and he came twice to rub my bottom to give me an injection. Cheap at half the price 😂😂

I have zero sympathy for people who don’t have holiday insurance. Totally irresponsible and selfish. Apart from having no protection for themselves, it could be absolutely disastrous for their families. I wouldn’t give a penny to a crowd fund.

Very true. DH has a relative with multiple health issues who travels with no insurance or basic. What’s the point?

Well I have stayed on in Majorca but can't get further insurance because already travelling. I'd pay for it but they won't let me have it. My insurance expired several days ago.

I was taken to hospital from the airport on a stopover. Insurance covered my operation, everything in the hospital, my stay in a hotel afterwards and for my DH and DD to stay in the hotel whilst I was in hospital. Some payment had to be made upfront before I was taken in for surgery. I'm sure it would have cost a lot more in other places.

I would probably feel I had to donate to a crowdfunder for friends or family but I wouldn't be happy about it. I don't think finding out your insurance you took out in good faith doesn't actually cover you is the same.

A friend went on a working holiday to Australia. I'm an organiser so I was looking at insurance for him (he hates doing anything like that) I was surprised how many insurance policies excluded manual work.

The exact work many people of working holidays do.

In Australia, it's the employer's responsibility to insure for workplace injuries.